Primary battery.



No. 665,625. Patented Ian. 8, l90l.

H. S. AMWAKE.

PRIMARY BATTERY.

(Application filed mar. 2, 1900. (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Shoat WITNESSES:INVENTOR m: mums mns 0O. mcwo-Lrrm. wnsmmm n c.

No. 665,625. Patented Ian. 6, I90l.

H. s. AMWAKE.

PRIMARY anrsav. (Application aim Mar. 2, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2,

' (No Model.)

B 0 T N E V N I WITNESSES:

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.UNrs STATES ATENT OFFICE.

HARRY S. AM\VAKE, OF CAMDEN, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOSEPHH. WILSON AND ABRAHAM M. GEISINGER, OF PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA.

PRIMARY BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,625, dated January8, 1901.

Apnlioation filed March 2, 1900. Serial No. 7,087. kNo model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that LHARRY SKILES AMWAKE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Camden, county of Camden, and State of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Primary ElectricBatteries, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of my invention are the construction of an electric batterywhich will,first,

1o permit the several elements and parts to be assembled and removed inthe simplest possible manner, and, second, increase the electromotiveforce of the cell and maintain same while in action.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective viewof a battery containing two cells. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the zinc element. Fig. 4 is aperspective view of the insulator; and Fig. 5 is a perspective view ofthe carbon element, the near side of which is broken away to showinternal arrangement.

As illustrated in Fig. 5, my carbon element C is a rectangular box,molded or formed out of pure carbon, with closed sides, ends, and bottomand open only at the top. On each end at the top are the projections Oand O, which are integral parts of said box. Said o projections areV-shaped, as shown, to engage with similar-shaped grooves in thebatterycasing A, shown, as at K, in the lugs B and B of said casing A,and with the superposed parts E and D,as illustrated in Fig. 5. The saidV shape is an essential feature of my form of constructions and appearsin all the ends of my several elements and associated parts. Such a formpermits the assemblingof said parts and the removal of the same in a few0 moments, and when they are so assembled they fit and lock into oneanother by their mere weight in a very simple and effective manner andwithout any mechanical devices to secure them.

5- D is my zinc element, which is a simple plate of zinc with theV-shaped projections D and D, the same being homogeneous parts of saidplate.

E represents the insulators, which are preferably ofporcelaimhardrubber, orfiber. Said 5o insulators have the arms or extensions E ontheir inner ends to support in place the zinc element D, as shown inFig. 5.

F signifies the copper connecting-strip vith which the zinc element Dmakes contact. Said strip ends in the negative terminal H. On theopposite side of the battery a similar connecting-strip G is shownending in the positive terminal J. Said strip makes contact with thecarbon element 0. Both of said strips G and H are conformed to the Vshape-of the ends of said carbon and zincelement-s, being fitted intothe similar-shaped grooves in the battery-casing A, as shown at K, inthe lugs B and B of Fig. 1. It will be observed that one of theprojectionsnamely,

D of the plate Dis elongated in order that the contact with theconnecting-strip F may be made beyond the insulator E.

In charging said battery I use for electrolytes the following solutions,namely: for the zinc, sodium hydrate and ordinary water in equalproportions, weight for weight. Said solution is of course placed insidemy carbon box 0, and for and surrounding said carbon elements on theiroutsides I use about fifteen per cent. of sulfuric acid in ordinarywater and ferric oxid in powdered form of equal weight with the saidsulfuric acid and water.

In action the said zinc solution attacks the zinc and produces hydrogen,which passes through the walls of the said carbon box into the solutionsurrounding the same on the outside and combining with the same formswater. There is, consequently, no polarization and no counterelectromotive force, and the full force of the battery is unimpaired. Onthe contrary, the electromotive force increases rather than decreases inaction.

For the recovery of the zinc deposited by action in its surroundingsolution I place said solution ,when exhausted, in an electroplatingapparatus, together with several of my zinc plates, and recover andredeposit said dissolved zinc upon said plates. The carbon 50- lutionmay be regenerated by aeration, which restores the action of the ferricoxid. Both these methods are simple and inexpensive and at the same timeeffective. The cost of maintaining a battery is in consequence greatlyreduced.

What I claim is p 1. In a primary electric battery a case provided withV-shaped grooves in two opposite walls of the same, positive andnegative copper connections also V-shaped to fit into said grooves, thenegative element consisting of a hollow vessel of carbon open only atthe top, provided with two opposite V-shaped projections or arms toengage with and rest upon the grooves in the walls of the battery-case,one of said arms making contact with the copper connection which ends inthe positive terminal, said hollow carbon vessel containing withinitself, suspended by V-shaped projections and insulated from said carbonvessel, a rectangular plate of zinc and in addition an electrolyte, saidcarbon vessel being surrounded on its outside by an electrolytedissimilar in character to the one within said vessel, said zinc elementbeing provided with a projection to extend beyond said carbon vessel andintervening insulator to make contact with the copper connection whichends in the negative terminal, substantially as illustrated anddescribed.

2. An electric battery consisting of a carbon element, a zinc element,and insulators to separate the same, the whole contained in a caseprovided with V-shaped grooves in two opposite walls of the same, saidelements and said insulators provided with V-shaped projections toengage with and lock into each other and with said V-shaped grooves insaid battery-case, substantially as illustrated and described.

3. A primary electric battery consisting of a case, copperconnecting-strips on two opposite walls of the same, a plurality ofporous carbon cups within said case, said cups adapted to be readilyremoved from said case, and provided with proper insulation and meansfor making contact with one of said copper strips, said carbon cupscontaining zinc plates and an electrolyte, said zinc plates properlyinsulated and adapted to be readily removed from said cups, and providedwith means for making contact with the other of said copper strips, saidporous carbon cups being surrounded on their outsides with anelectrolyte dissimilar to the one within said cups, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twowitnesses.

HARRY S. AMVVAKE. Witnesses:

HARRY B. LONGACRE, J 0s. W. ROBERTSON.

